Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has questioned his former club’s treatment of William Saliba.
Saliba is currently out on loan at Marseille and has recently earned himself a place in the French senior squad after impressive performances in Ligue 1. The 21-year-old has started more games than any other Marseille player, despite his inexperience.
In a recent interview with Amazon Prime (relayed by GOAL), Henry has questioned Arsenal’s treatment of the France international.
“They didn’t even let him make a mistake. He didn’t even have the chance to compete for his place. What he is doing here is extraordinary. He was rewarded with a selection for the France team,” said Henry.
Saliba is yet to make an appearance for Arsenal, despite being sent on loan to three separate top division French sides. If the youngster is capable of playing regularly for these teams, there is no reason he can’t be at least a squad player at Arsenal.
“Now he belongs to Arsenal, I don’t know where he will end up. We have seen that it was a little difficult for him to express himself on the subject,” added Henry.
Leaving Arsenal might be the right move for his development, especially with Ben White and Gabriel performing well. Both defenders are still very young, so they might not even be in their prime and won’t need replacing for a long time.
If Marseille are willing to continue to play him regularly, staying at the French club could be key for him to continue to break into the France squad, especially with the World Cup approaching.
